While the recruiting season winds down for college football programs and the last scholarships are being filled, it is often the case that schools will take ‘a reach’ on players just to see if they will blossom later on. This is, to me, is one of the most intriguing aspects of the recruiting season.
We’ve been able to keep the core group of inherited recruits together pretty well so far. However, we have had some recruits who would have contributed to the program turn their attentions elsewhere; Conwell Dakota (LB) to ASU, William Parks (DB) to UofA, Marzett Geter (DB ) to a remedial tweeting class, Brandon Cook (C) to Miami of Ohio and Corey Jones to Toledo. In what may be our biggest loss OT Adam Pankey is looking hard at WVU and I think he’ll fall that way.
What is interesting about those defections is the debate on whether the recruits were ‘encouraged’ to go elsewhere or whether they made the move themselves. I think Jones, Geter and Cook didn’t really have a place under the new staff, but it doesn’t really matter in the long run because the fact is that they will not be at PITT in 2012.
In addition, Chryst has added everyone’s favorite J.P. Holtz, a TE who decommitted from PSU and who could see action sooner than later. We also pulled in two lower ranked kids in CB Ryan Lewis of WA State who, due to an injury in his JR year, was somewhat under the radar to recruiters and LB Mike Caprara the leading tackler in Woodland Hills history which isn’t shabby.
I do think Paul Chryst and his staff is doing more long range planning right now, whether out of necessity because high impact players aren’t signing on at this late date or by staff choice, we really don’t know. In two days we will see what’s what when the players start signing and faxing their Letters of Intent to the school of their choice. We still have some HVTs (High Value Targets) out there who our staff still has a shot at.
Deaysean Rippy, a great or not so great LB depending on what day it is, has stated that he’ll choose between the Good Guys (PITT) and the Bad Guys (WVU).
Bam Bradley, a Safety out of Ohio is being courted by a slew of good schools but still has PITT near the top of his list.
Anthony Standifer, a CB from Illinois who will choose between Boise State and PITT. A strange thing is he has a scheduled visit to PITT on Feb 10th – 10 days after LOI Day. Never saw that before.
As to those ‘reaches’…there are some others but at this point I’m thinking that what we see is what we get with a few late additions. OL Gabe Roberts is one. He’s a non-ranked kid out of Wisconsin who was waiting for a Wisky offer that never came. He may be just the type of player who Bostad & Chryst can turn into a player at this level.
Add to all this the public confusion regarding just how many scholarships we have to use this year due to academic casualties (as many as four Graham recruits may not make the academic qualifying cut) and 5th year seniors being asked to move on. We may very well be at our limit but we also will surely find room for one or two highly ranked players if they commit. It could be also the case that Chryst is saving slots for the 2013 class.
This will change with addition of Rippy, Pankey, Standifer, Bradley (who I think we will get) and others from Cleveland area who are waivering .. plus maybe a pleasant surprise. I’m not saying that we need all of them, but at least half woud be nice.
internet rumors have him camping at wisconsin and boastad liked him then
He’s from Hamilton, Ohio a small city in the backyard of Miami, Ohio and a hop step and jump away from Cincinnati. Offered by Miami and passed on by the Bearcats.
I have a feeling that he might be an academic reach. A talanted player with “issues”.
WVU is probably the right place for him if he has the SAT’s to become a Rhodes Scholar at Morgantown.
When was the last time we had a top 5 RB and a top 5 QB in one class? Never
Thats enough of a victory for me…
Myself included, Pitt fans are never satisfied..
If Bostad likes him that is an excellent sign. Who knows, he could end up being an amazing steal.
Bostad’s reputation for judging talent is outstanding….maybe we get lucky with Guy.
I don’t see any haters this morning. Please calm down and take your meds. Chryst and Co. have a better than average recruiting class headed our way. When you add in the redshirts and transfers that are elligable in 2012 we should be O.K.
Yup, a suggestion, concentrate on how Tino can be improved to mediocre from terrible…O.K.?
The most promising aspect of the class is that the 4-stars not only have waivered but have been pretty strong advocates
but things can happen in the next day or two
what i find the bigest disappointment is that
i thought we would get at least a 3 star OL men
or two. with the great OL coach that we have
it must have been the going to the bears rumors
that is all i can blame it on.
WVU would be a huge mistake.
Let’s face it, Holgerson is one casino visit away from Chadima-izing himself.
Rutgers: Steve Politi of the Star Ledger (NJ) just stated tweeted that Mario Cristobal will get the job. We haven’t confirmed he got it; but we have confirmed that they were in deep discussions last night.
Voytik on the other hand is showing already a different intangible forte than just his natural athletic ability. That seems to be his attitude and his potential leadership capacity. From what I’ve read, he has been influencial in keeping this recruiting class as intact as it is now.
Even if his skill set doesn’t prove to be stellar, at the QB position, leadership can trump ability often times. Tyler Palko is a good example of that I think. He sure played with a lot of heart, his teammates were solid with him at the QB spot and often the team played over their ability with him in there at QB.
We’ll see if there are any other surprises soon enough on Wednesday, but those two are both quality gets in any case.
If Cristobal goes to Rutgers that’s more bad news. Another relentless recruiter in our backyard.
becuse he will bring a whole new staff and if that happens we get JJ DENMAN. he said he would leave rutgers if staff changed.
recruit different players then us he runs the spred like TG
different type of players sure there is some over lap but the 5 foot6 wr that we just let go he would want.the center cook that was to small for us he would take.
that is better than some one who runs the pro offince like we will
The area surrounding New Brunswick has an enormous Latino population….enough opportunites to keep his wife knee deep in causes for many years.
will bring in new coachs and jj denman who stayed becuse he liked the staff are screwed best to wait till the smoke clears than he can still sign with pitt
hope he gets good advice from some one
some of thoes players will have trouble with the spred just like are players did.
to bad street cant talk to them.
I do disagree though that it is THAT different of a situation though because Rutgers recruits now would more suit the Pitt schemes going forward..they may not fit into the schemes that Cristobal has if that is the hire to be made…After Wanny left all of his recruits fit exactly what Rutgers was going to do because the entire staff was going practically – we may not be getting the staff back this time around but the schemes may play in our favor this time around.
Mark
“Does everyone forget that Kyle Flood couldn’t handle be “Co-Offensive” Coordinator? He was just demoted last year, why would we consider making him head coach? If he becomes head coach this is a huge step backwards.”
With their assistants in place perhaps they do keep most of their verbals but if the comment made by Mark finds others with similar thoughts, RU may very well lose some recruits and be heading towards a downward spiral. On the other hand PC does his talking with the results on the field, which I anticipate will be far better than this past year. One should be very encouraged about upcoming recruiting classes and still be happy we have some good studs in this class plus transfers who will be eligible this year.
bye pitt and he picks toledo what the hell is that i thought we got rid of the outher players
becuse they did not fit now i wonder if that was true
.
what the hell are we doeing wrong who takes toledo over pitt.
and on tues day it is toledo all his offers were mac schools except ours.
even though he was a3 star his only offers were from mac schools till we offered but to turn us dowm makes no sence.
